History

Yale Cancer Center (YCC) was founded in 1974 as a result of an act of Congress in 1971, which declared the nation's "war on cancer." It is one of a select network of 41 Comprehensive Cancer Centers throughout the country designated by the National Cancer Institute. The Cancer Center brings together the resources of Yale School of Medicine (YSM), Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, and Yale University.

In the history of cancer treatment, Yale is perhaps best known as the institution where cancer chemotherapy and the entire field of cancer drug development was discovered and the very first cancer drug was administered in 1942. However, that was only one milestone in a long and rich legacy in cancer research. In the early 1900s, Dr. Ross Harrison developed the first methods for growing tumor cells in flasks on nutrient media. This development signaled an important advancement and led to considerable progress in understanding how tumors develop and grow. In 1921, Dr. Francesc Duran i Reynals succeeded in producing different types of sarcomas in animal model studies by overcoming the species barriers of certain oncogenic viruses. Dr. William Gardner's studies on steroid hormones and their role in experimental carcinogenesis added another dimension to our understanding of malignant disease. The first FDA approved selective immunotherapy treatment for any type of cancer, Transimmunization, was also developed at Yale under the direction of Dr. Richard Edelson.

Today, Yale Cancer Center scientists make many important contributions in basic science, in addition to focusing on translational research, an approach through which laboratory discoveries are quickly and efficiently integrated with clinical patient care. Yale Cancer Center emphasizes the molecular origins of cancer, stressing targeted treatments that are more specific to a particular cancer and less debilitating to patients. The Center's shared resource infrastructure ensures that the scientists have access to an array of highly sophisticated technologies that are crucial to developing innovative treatments that can be directly translated into clinical care.

At Yale Cancer Center, we are committed to caring for patients in a warm and compassionate environment at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Our experts work as a team to plan and track every aspect of our patients' care and treatment. The specialists involved in the care of each individual patient form a team, including medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, oncology nurses, social workers, nutritionists, physical and occupational therapists, and clergy.

Timeline of Cancer Developments at Yale

1942

Chemotherapy (nitrogen mustard) was used for cancer care for the very first time at Yale-New Haven Hospital (then New Haven Hospital).

1953

Yale established the first pharmacology department in the United States to focus on cancer chemotherapy and cancer drug development.

1950s

Yale researchers investigated the mechanism of action of Cytarabine, which can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in bone marrow.

1960s

Yale researchers investigated the mechanism of action of 6-Thiopurines and discovered resistance in leukemia.